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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24603607">SOTB Extra: Nobody Likes Apples</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/ni21/pseuds/ni21'>ni21</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Scars On The Back Are A Swordsman's Shame [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>One Piece</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Friends With Benefits Roronoa Zoro/Tashigi, Friends With Benefits Roronoa Zoro/Trafalgar D. Water Law, Medical Examination, Moral Dilemmas, Multi, Talking, surrogate aftercare</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 08:14:12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,419</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24603607</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/ni21/pseuds/ni21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>This is the missing chapter of SOTB, where Law takes care of Tashigi's wounds.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Roronoa Zoro/Tashigi, Roronoa Zoro/Trafalgar D. Water Law, Trafalgar D. Water Law &amp; Tashigi</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Scars On The Back Are A Swordsman's Shame [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1768186</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>26</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>SOTB Extra: Nobody Likes Apples</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hallo and welcome!<br/>I'm afraid this won't make much sense if you haven't read the first part of this series SOTB. It takes place between chapter  5 and 6 but I decided to sort it out, for shipping reasons. Anyway, if you haven't you might want to check out <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24222232/chapters/58356634">Scars On The Back</a>, but please, for all that is holy or unholy or whatever <strong>mind the damn tags and notes! I don't put them in for the fun of it.</strong><br/>Also, nobody is cheating.<br/>Anyways, have fun.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>"I'm not your damn errand boy, Roronoa. I'm writing you a bill for that." Despite putting all the disdain he had, into both his voice and his expression, the guy had the audacity to just wave him off. He really should know better by now. He really, really should know that none of this fucking crew gave a single shit about who he was and what he was and that all his glares only gave them amusement. Just like his own family…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But… Something weird happened there, Strawhat-ya's first mate usually was a rock. He knew that first hand. But as much as the brat had demanded he see the marine woman, he was weak right now. Like </span>
  <em>
    <span>he</span>
  </em>
  <span> usually was when they met. Raw like </span>
  <em>
    <span>he</span>
  </em>
  <span> became while they were together. Ah, fuck this shit.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Fine," he grumbled and saw the spine steel up again even though he knew it was just a farce. The younger man was definitely not fine, but his agreement definitely lifted a weight from his shoulders. Too damn soft to be pirates, the lot of them. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Signs were clear as day, and the bastard should really know better. He </span>
  <em>
    <span>did</span>
  </em>
  <span> know better. He had never seen that man look so lost, which was peak irony in itself… </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Go home, Roronoa, I got her," he reassured with a squeeze to his shoulder, which was entirely too tense and weak, at the same time. Idiot.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Appreciate it,” Roronoa sighed before shrugging off his hand to allow his navigator to drag him away in the right direction. Seriously, that man… </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You might want to give him a massage or have him take a hot bath if he’s supposed to be of any use to you the next week. He </span>
  <em>
    <span>is</span>
  </em>
  <span> tense,” he directed at the remaining Strawhat.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The archaeologist smiled at him, hands folded behind her back she looked entirely too young,  too carefree, in that summer dress. Strawhatpirate looked good on a world weary woman like her, what other crew could have healed her like that?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you for taking care of him,” she said with a nod.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It only made him scoff. “You’re the ones that will have to take care of him, I’m just doing what my profession expects me to do.” There was no fucking way he’d let Nico Robin of all people rope him in with her goody good Nakama, but just like the first mate before; she kept woefully unimpressed by his scowl because apparently that was something they indulged in as a family, not taking him seriously.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She just sent another enigmatic smile at him. “We both know what’s going on between you two, and we both know that she is different. You do this for him and not out of obligation to your calling. You know that, don't you, doctor?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yeah no shit, that much was obvious, wasn't it? That she was special? He wasn't exactly sure how she was though, and knew he helped her cope in a vastly different way from how he helped him. Well maybe vast was a bit much. He did not have the same moral dilemmas a marine could have. What were morals anyways?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Whatever," he said with a roll of his eyes that again was just met with a friendly smile.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"It's a straight hike up, I left you pointers and it shouldn't take you more than half an hour if you don't get lost," she teased, waving over her shoulder, already on her way to follow her Nakama. Speaking to the wrong fucking swordman in your life, woman. Was no use arguing with her about that, he knew she got a rise out of teasing… made her genuine concern about Roronoa and his girlfriend all the more endearing. He scoffed, tore his gaze from her retreating form to get on his way. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Endearing,</span>
  </em>
  <span> they were really rubbing off on him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It took him precisely 18 minutes to reach the cottage and even without the pale arms sticking out from the trees and those really creepy faces winking at him, whenever he made the right step without them immediately close. Not to brag, but it took a lot to creep him out, he'd been allotted the rank of Shichibukai because he and his crew had hauled up crates filled with pirate hearts up the steps to the World Government HQ for fuck's sake, but this woman… </span>
</p><p>
  <span>When Roronoa spoke of the creepy lady it was always with that same fondness he had for all of his Nakama, but, damn if it wasn't on point for her. And those smiles didn't make it better. Just thinking about the things she could do with her devil fruit… she'd been an interrogator in the revolutionary army… gave him the fucking shivers.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He didn't knock. He might respect, and dare he say care about the Strawhats, he didn't owe the lady marine anything. The place reeked of battle and sex. It was oddly surprising. As much of a disgusting pig the younger man </span>
  <em>
    <span>could</span>
  </em>
  <span> be, he never just left him behind to deal with the mess. He couldn't just leave because it was part of his process and it was evident that this mess here was not beneficial for him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Still this was a mess. He entered the room, he felt the tiny presence in. Spent, asleep, naked on the bed. Sheets of bloodied wax paper and towels stuffed in a dustbin by the door. A bottle of disinfectant and a medical kit on the floor by the bed, empty wrappers and bottles haphazardly strewn across. What a mess indeed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He summoned his Room and the moment it swept over the sleeping Marine, she jumped to her feet, rolled off the bed in what definitely had been an accident but came to kneel with her blade at the ready, in a defensive stance either way. Interesting. Fire in her eyes and even though she was stark naked, there was nothing of the embarrassment she'd shown on Punk Hazard for a lot less skin. She was just functioning and he </span>
  <em>
    <span>should </span>
  </em>
  <span>feel insulted that she lowered her weapon when she recognised him. This alliance had been a mistake, being associated with Strawhat-ya stripped you automatically of any credibility.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I fell asleep. If you have five minutes to spare, I would like to take a shower, before the examination." She requested, all polite as if she wasn't a marine talking to a pirate. He waved her off, sat down on the very edge of the all kinds of soiled bed, and looked after her. Saw the two long bandaged sections on her back, seven scars already healed in a messy, ugly way. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She'd developed since the last time he'd seen her. Had put on a lot more muscle. The same lean muscle he had, nothing like Roronoa. It did look good on her, but the clear definition spoke of a vastly diminished subcutaneous fat reserve and dehydration and neither was particularly healthy.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Was it a swordsmen thing? This utter disregard for their own health? But this wasn't like Roronoa, who stayed remarkably hydrated even with all the alcohol, which was another matter entirely and it was probably all due to Tony-ya's effort. No, this was in vain. This woman trained her body to collapse, to get a chance to be one of the formidable fighters of the world, not seeing that it was completely futile. She’d never be one of them. Reach the likes of Roronoa or Mihawk-ya even. Mainly because she had started training with complete disregard for her well-being too late. Because she was smarter than that. Or so he had thought, but she didn’t look all that smart now.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She came back with a towel around her and he really should just give up, shouldn’t he? How absolutely defenseless she was and she didn’t even seem to mind. She had left her weapon with him. How little of a threat did she think he was? More than she let on probably. They were the same in a way, only here because every single person of that crew had the remarkable talent to fuck up your prejudice and opinions. They made people mellow and if they trusted somebody that automatically ripped down your walls of self defense and made you consider even your worst enemy as a potential </span>
  <em>
    <span>friend</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Disgusting almost.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He cleared the bed, commanded all the filth away to only leave pristine white sheets on the bed, and a hotbed for pathogens outside the window and she lay down without having to be prompted. She only gave a little yelp when he lifted the bed up towards him and let the towel move down to her hips. Had she really thought he’d kneel down beside her? Put on the sterilized gloves from the medical kit, his power peeling off the makeshift bandages. Damn it Roronoa. “Those wounds won’t heal nicely if I don’t mend them,” he informed her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“They aren’t supposed to look pretty. These scars are a reminder of my shame. Let them be as ugly as they get.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>This was the same resolve as back then, when she had begged him for her body. The same determination to stick to her principles and beliefs that had swayed him to spare the life of her, her men, and her superior.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You have not changed, Marine,” he said focusing on the separated tissue on her back. It was remarkable, this control of the blade. It did not matter how ragged and barbaric the cut looked, it screamed control that really shouldn’t be possible for someone without his devil fruit.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I carry these scars on my back for a reason, pirate.” There was venom in her voice, venom that was clearly not directed at him, despite her addressing him directly. The scars were rough. Fine white lines wherever it was hard to reach, but the areas accessible to herself? The wounds had been reopened quite a lot before they had been allowed to heal. They were a crass difference to the fresh wounds now, which were fine and controlled within her reach and a mangled mess in the middle of her back where she wouldn’t be able to get her hands on. So Roronoa had accounted for that self-destructive behaviour. He wasn’t sure it was the smartest choice but who was he to judge. None of the scars had been infected and it probably was better to assist her than to leave her alone with the hurt.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"If you had changed, you wouldn't feel the need to atone for your actions in such a way. And Roronoa would not help you with it."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He worked in silence, cleaned out the wounds, applied antiseptic and wrapped them up, while she was lost in her own head, probably doing her best to forget that it was yet another pirate that helped her. Both of them were morons. This surrogate aftercare did neither of them any good.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I apologize that he made you do this, Trafalgar," she said, her voice clear with steely resolve in a sorry attempt to hide the emotion beneath.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I'm a doctor."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I know that. But. Sending your boyfriend to patch up your lover is bad taste."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His what now? Was that not the point of their little game? Not getting attached? She should know that there was no room for fickle love on the high seas, in the New World least of all. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I'm not his boyfriend and I couldn't care less who else he fucks around with," he said applying soothing salve on the dark purple bruises on her hips. He could just heal them, they both knew it. Both knew she wanted the reminder, too. She did not wince once, obviously determined not to show anymore weakness to him, completely forgetting that she couldn't possibly hide anything from him while she was in his Room. After he was done, he lifted the towel back up to cover her, using his hands this time, one reassuring, but quick and professional pat on her shoulder because even though his training had been a while, he still knew what bedside manner was.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She sat up as soon as the bed landed on the floor again and his room had reverted back in his hand. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s funny, you know,” she started and he really didn't want to know, because things that started like this were never funny. “Ever after Punk Hazard, I had always thought, the next time I’d meet you, I’d show you that I’m not as weak as you thought I was, and now look at me. Having you patch me up again after I let another Pirate willingly cut me up. I must look pathetic.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She did. Sitting there with her shoulders dropped and her head hanging low. How the fuck had he been roped into this again? How much exactly did he owe Roronoa for the occasional blowing off steam and the occasional companionship one couldn't have within his own crew? For the small break of responsibility? Ah, damn it all. And Strawhat-ya most of all for reminding him that he had a conscience. Had been all really easy when it had all been about revenge. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You wouldn't look so pathetic if you weren't ashamed of it. If it keeps you sane in this world it's not wrong,” he said, putting the mini Denden from the Navigator on the drawer.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She looked up at him, big brown eyes way too innocent for what had happened here that night, hope shining in them and she didn’t even try to hide it. Was this normal to feel? Was this normal to want? To need? Did it really not make her weak? </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He gave her a nod, as reassuring as he could muster. “Roronoa wouldn’t waste his time with you otherwise.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It wasn’t a lie. It didn’t matter that she had looked like that childhood friend of Roronoa’s when he’d met her. Focused and driven as he was, she would not have kept his attention if she were weak. She understood. Smiled at him in such a vibrant way that it was almost offending. Being weak really didn’t matter if it allowed her to be strong when it counted. He’d learned that the hard way.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Good enough. He left for the door. “Now get your shit together,” he said over his shoulder and she actually had the balls to laugh a happy laugh. No matter which one, Strawhats were </span>
  <em>
    <span>never </span>
  </em>
  <span>a good influence.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hope you enjoyed this! Drop me a kudos and or a comment if you liked it.<br/>I'd like to see you next Wednesday for the sequel of SOTB! You won't find that on ffn, since it's basically just smut and ffn is being a bitch about that, so just search for me there. The fic will be called A Swordsman's Shame and address the next encounter between Zoro and Tashigi after the one in SOTB. And yes I'm aware that it shortens to ASS...</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hope you enjoyed! Drop me a Kudos and or a comment and tell me what you think of it. Constructive criticism is always welcome, too, just don't whine to me that they fuck around with whoever, they are adults, they play with open cards, everyone is fine with it. I'm aware that's not for everyone and that's totally cool!</p><p>As always huge thank you to Ghost for the handholding, and <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/lunnamars">lunnamars</a> for the encouragement, and <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/Inurshuh/pseuds/Inurshuh">Inurshuh</a> for the beta! Check out their stuff, it's great!</p><p>
  <strong>If you used the little port key I left in SOTB chapter 5 please use <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24222232/chapters/59412184#workskin">this</a> to head back to chapter 6</strong>
</p><p>Last but not least, would you consider filling out this <a href="https://forms.gle/rW5DLmkU2fA6EYqR7">survey</a> on your fic reading behaviour? It's anonymous!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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